158: MyCOreach--Bridging the Gap Between MycoCurious to MycoSerious
Shane Schoolman, CEO and Co-Founder of MyCOLove Farm, holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from CU Boulder and has been deeply involved in mycology since 2016. Through MyCOLove, a USDA Organic and vertically integrated mushroom company, Shane champions a "Farm to Bottle" mission to heal through biodiversity. He pioneers advanced techniques like Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction (UAE) to create potent, full-spectrum mushroom extracts. As Co-Creator of MycoReach, Shane also empowers citizen scientists with open-source tools, workshops, and a mobile mycology lab—bridging the gap between curiosity and applied fungal innovation.
Listen to 103 if you want to learn more about the ULTIMATE MUSHROOM STACK
The MycoReach van is more than a ride—it's a mobile education lab and culture collection center. Outfitted with laminar flow hoods, microscopes, DNA sequencing tools, and even Starlink-powered internet, this van travels across the U.S. collecting native fungal species, supporting mycoremediation projects, and giving local communities access to high-level applied mycology resources.
Shane’s passion for mycoremediation and open-source science is at the core of MycoReach. The goal? Bridge the gap between the "myco-curious" and the "myco-serious"—empowering everyday people to become mycology enthusiasts, researchers, and problem-solvers. Whether it’s filtering polluted waterways or mitigating wildfires, MicroReach helps communities tap into local fungal genetics with real-world applications.
The episode also highlights ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE)—a game-changing, low-heat, low-energy technique used at MyCOLove Farm to extract full-spectrum mushroom compounds without damaging their potency. Compared to traditional alcohol or high-heat extraction methods, UAE preserves delicate terpenes and bioactive compounds, delivering cleaner, more sustainable mushroom supplements.
Want to help build the national culture bank? MycoReach is collecting wild fungal samples from every state—so if you're attending mushroom festivals like Telluride, Olympic Peninsula Fungi Fest, or even local Florida mycology meetups, you can get involved by donating cultures or helping identify and clone specimens onsite.
💥 Takeaways:
MycoReach van is a mobile lab that supports foraging, education, and live fungal cloning.
Shane’s team is building an open-source database of wild fungal genetics from across the country.
Ultrasonic extraction offers a better, cleaner way to extract mushroom compounds.
You can support by following MicroReach, attending events, or joining community science efforts.
🔗 Check out:
Follow on Instagram: @mycolovefarm
🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify or florafungapodcast.com for behind-the-scenes footage, science-packed insights, and Shane’s inspiring fungal mission.
